"Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

"Japa Mala & Sigficance Of 108"

Japa Mala or mala beads has been used by our Great Masters from time immemorial. Traditionally, Master(Guru) gives the mala to his disciple along with a mantra to initiate him into a spiritual path.

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"Japa Mala & Significance Of 108 "

In Sanskrit language, mala or more correctly, maala means a garland of beads. Malaused for counting the affirmations or mantra repetitions in meditation is called japa mala or simply mala. The process of repeating a mantra or a phrase is called japa.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

A Hindu japa mala consists of 108+1 beads with a knot between the beads. The number 108 has several meanings. Some of them are:
1. 27 constellations x 4 padas(parts) = 108
2. 12 zodiac houses x 9 planets = 108
3. Upanishats Scriptures of the Vedas = 108
In other words,
108 beads represent the entire universe. When we count the mantrausing the mala, we are remembering the presence of the deity who is the Universal Selfin every part of the universe. So, after each cycle of repetition, we cover the entire universe by feeling and touching the presence of deity of the mantra in it.
108 beads symbolize the universe and repetition on each reminds us the omnipresence of the Universal Self(a.k.a God)! It suggests the immanent nature of the Universal Self.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

Additional 109th bead is knotted to the mala. It is called by different names Sumeru, Meru bead, Guru bead etc. To show respect to the Master(Guru), Guru bead is never crossed when counting the mantras during meditation. Instead, the mala is turned around so that the next round of counting begins with the 108th bead.
The Guru bead is separate from the main mala. As discussed earlier, main mala of 108 beads makes the universe. Since Guru bead is separate from the main mala(i.e. universe), it suggests that the Universal Self is transcendental, i.e. beyond the universe.
The name of 109th bead is Guru bead. It is separate from the universe of 108 beads. It means that Guru is the force beyond the universe and is nothing but the Universal Self that directs everything. It means that Guru is nothing but God.
The tassel after the Guru bead indicates the fourth state called Turiya. It is a transcendental state beyond three states, viz., waking, dream and deep sleep.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

The string of the mala symbolizes the Universal Self. How? Remember, we discussed that beads form the part of the universe. The string holds and supports the beads. So, it symbolizes the Universal Self which is the force that supports or sustains every part and every being of the universe.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

In a japa mala, 108 beads are strung in a circular fashion. It represents the cyclic nature of the universe, without an end or a beginning. The Universal Self is the only unchanging principle, just like a string in the mala.
The circular arrangement also signifies infinite birth and death cycle. Individual Self also changes the bodies in an endless cycle. So, the highest goal of our lives is to permanently escape from this cycle by merging with the Universal Self. The beads are like different births or bodies. By contemplating the mantra of the deity continuously, we would like to access the inherent thread of the universe, the Universal Self, which is eternal and unchanging.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

A knot is kept between the beads to ensure that the beads won’t touch each other. This is to avoid the distraction that may be caused due to frictional sound of bead during mantra meditation. Knot signifies the divine link present between all beings of this universe. It reminds us that all of us are strung in the thread of the Universal Self like; the beads strung by a thread

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

Swami Muktananda explains it perfectly, clearly and precise when describing the heart as the source of the infinite and our connection with the divine and God. From the heart there are 108 MAIN nadis (veins) that go from the heart to all the extrimeties and after reciting a mantra 108 times you have purified your body. In this way a meditator can see the importance in reciting mantra.

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"Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

In Ayurvedic Medicine they talk of the 108 MARMAS. Marmas are vital points in our body where muscles, bones, joints, arteries, and nerves meet creating the vital flow of life.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.
Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.
Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.
Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.
Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.
Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.

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"Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.
8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.
Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.
Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.
Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.
Islam: The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God.
Jain: In the Jain religion, 108 are the combined virtues of five categories of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues respectively.
Sikh: The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied in a string of wool, rather than beads.
Buddhism: Some Buddhists carve 108 small Buddhas on a walnut for good luck. Some ring a bell 108 times to celebrate a new year. There are said to be 108 virtues to cultivate and 108 defilements to avoid.
Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each. Chinese astrology says that there are 108 sacred stars.
Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.
Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.
Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.
Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

In the tenth kand of the text Shatpath Brahman it is said that one sanvatsar has 10,800 auspicious moments (muhurts). The Rugveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda also have the same number of couplets. (The Atharvaveda is considered inferior to the other three Vedas. Hence it is not discussed here.) The life span of man in the Kaliyug is hundred years. If 10,800 is divided by 100 the result is 108. Thus the 108 beads in the mala indicate the 108 auspicious moments (muhurts) in a year and also the couplets of the three Vedas.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

The author of Ankavidya, S.H.Joshi has illustrated the scientific relationship between numbers and actions. Zero refers to the inactive, formless and attributeless Brahman whereas, 1 indicates the non-dualistic state of Brahman. S.H. Joshi while elucidating the concept further says, each number has its own importance. The 108 beads of the mala also have a significance. The sun when traversing the twelve zodiac signs completes a polar circle which is known as a ‘vrutta’. The vrutta has 360 degrees. If one converts the degrees of the revolution into kalas one gets 360 x 60 = 2,16,000 kalas. The sun remains in the northern hemisphere for six months and in the southern for the remaining six. Thus one obtains the figure of 1,08,000 in each part. From another angle it is considered that there are 60 ghatkas from one sunrise to the other. One ghatka consists of 60 pals and each of the 60 pals amounts to 60 vipals. Thus 60 ghatkas amount to 2,16,000 vipals. If these are divided between day and night then one arrives at the number 1,08,000. To establish a relationship between time and numbers, the three zeros of the figure 1,08,000 may have been deleted and the figure of 108 may probably have been used for the japamala.

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" Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

Japa Mala is kept inside a cloth bag and is placed on the altar or at a high sacred place to show our respect to power of deity that is accumulated by our meditation.
Never drop/keep the mala on the floor for two reasons:
1. To show respect to the mala.
2. 2. The spiritual energy gets reduced due to “earthing”, just like static electric charge.
Adore the mala like your favorite deity and it takes care of you, just like God!

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"Japa Mala & Significance Of 108"

Spiritual energy is stored in the Japa Mala because of chanting. So, it is best to keep the Japa Mala at a clean high place or altar.
Let us pray, as we need the Grace of our Sadguru and Maa (Shakti) to remove our ignorance to access the Highest Knowledge.
Ya Devi sarvabhooteshu chetanetyabhideeyate |
Namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah ||
- Durga Saptashati
Salutations to Her(Maa), who is the consciousness present in all being. Salutations to Her, Salutations to Her and Salutations to Her..(..always, again and again, forever..)..
II Om Namah Shivaya II
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